New & Noteworthy: April 17

Judith Starkston’s novel Hand of Fire has been long-listed for the prestigious M.M. Bennetts Award for Historical Fiction. The final winner will be announced at the annual Historical Novel Society conference in Denver this June. Hand of Fire returns a voice to the long-silenced Briseis, the captive woman Achilles and Agamemnon fought over in the legendary tradition of the Trojan War. After many years of research, Judith is proud to have brought to life this exotic, long-ago time in a way that has appealed to a wide range of readers. She’s thrilled to be among the distinguished authors on this list. Congratulations Judith!